The Coffin Maker

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Gopikrishnan Kottoor is the pen name of Raghav G. Nair (born 1956, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala), an Indian English poet. He is the founder editor of quarterly poetry journal '' Poetry Chain''.

Early life and education

Kottoor studied at the Loyola English School and Arya Central School, Trivandrum. He obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English from the Institute of English, Trivandrum. Kottoor won his first poetry prize in University college poetry competitions, and soon published his poetry in Indian magazines publishing poetry in English. He attended the Master of Fine Arts (Poetry) program of the Texas State University, Southwest Texas, US. In 2005, he was Poet-in-Residence at the University of Augsburg, Germany, on a sponsorship by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) in association with Tagore Centre, Berlin. On 4 August 2019, he was requested to join the Indian Writers Association as a member of its advisory board.

Career

As poet

Gopi Kottoor won both the All-India Special Poetry Prize of the British Council-Poetry Society, India All India Poetry Competitions (AIPC) in 1997 for his poem "These are the things we could talk about" and Second Prize for his poem "Digging" in the General Category of the Competition in 1997. Between 1995 and 1998, he won two more poetry prizes presented by the British Council – Poetry Society (India) sponsored All India Poetry Competitions (AIPC).

His other major poetry prizes include The First Prize in the All India Poetry Competition(2017) and Wingword International Poetry Award(2021).

Kottoor's " Father, Wake Us In Passing" (2000), which won for the poet a Residency in the University of Augsburg, Germany, is a touching poem sequence on his father in coma, and dying. It has received rave reviews. Kottoor's poetry has appeared in international journals that include ''Orbis (UK) '', ''Ariel'' (University of Calgary), ''Toronto Review (Canada)'', ''Plaza (Japan)'', Arabesques Review (Africa), ''Persona (Texas State University Journal)'', '' Bluefifth Online (UK)'', ''Chiaroscuro Magazine (UK)'', ''Levure littéraire (UK)'', ''Big bridge (UK) '', ''Nth Position (UK)'', '' New English Review (UK) '' and others. His poems are also featured in the anthology, '' The Dance of the Peacock''.

A selection of Gopi Kottoor's poetry, 'Vrindavan' and Changampuzha's elegy 'Ramanan' in translation can be read onlin
here

As playwright

Kottoor's play ''The Nectar of the Gods'' (2015) is a socio-historical take on the life of the palace soldier Devasahayam (Lazarus), who was executed following his conversion to Christianity during the reign of King Marthanda Varma (Kerala, 18c). His other plays include ''The Mask of Death'', a radio-play on the dying days of the Romantic poet John Keats in Rome, ''Fire in the Soul'', a play on the life and times of the Nationalist rebel poet of India, Subramania Bharati, and ''A Woman in Flames.''

As novelist

Kottoor's first novel, ''A Bridge Over Karma'', was translated into Malayalam and serialized in the popular Malayalam journal ''Kala Kaumudi''.

As editor

Kottoor founded and edited '' Poetry Chain'', a quarterly for Indian poetry in English, which ran from 1997–2007. He also edits the E-zine Underground Flowers.

Awards

* ''Poetry prizes at the Chandigarh Literary Poetry Festival (2022, 2023).''
* ''The Wingword International Poetry Prize (2020), Honourable mention (2022).''
* ''All India Poetry Competition (First Prize), The Poetry Society India, 2017.''
* ''All India Special Poetry Prize, Poetry Society, India and The British Council, 1997.''
* ''All India Poetry Prize (Second Prize), Poetry Society, India and The British Council, 1997.''
* ''All India Poetry Awards, Commendation prizes, 1995 & 1998.''
* ''The Bharathi Prize, Chennai (1995)''
* ''The Kerala University College Prize (1976)''
* ''The Clover Poetry Prize, Commendation (1973)''

Honours

* ''Philip McCormick Scholarship, Texas State University, Texas, US 2000''
* ''Distinguished Guest from India
Government of India Annual Report 2005-2006,(p) 152
'
* ''Michael Madhusudan Dutt Award''
* ''D.Litt, World Academy of Arts, California, US''
* ''21 Top Indian Poets''

Bibliography

Poetry
* ''Piccolo''
* ''Milestones to the Sun''
* ''Sunbirds in the Rain''
* ''Nirvana and Other poems''
* ''Rev: Father Benedict Goes To Heaven and Other poems''
* ''Father, Wake Us In Passing,(Vater, Wecke Uns Im Vorübergehen – German, Laufschrift 2004)''
* ''Mother Sonata''
* ''A Buchenwald Diary (Poems following a visit to Buchenwald Concentration camp, Weimar, Germany)''
* ''Victoria Terminus, Poems Selected and New''
* ''Vrindavan – The Coloured Yolk of Love''
* ''Tell Me Neruda''

Novels
* ''A Bridge Over Karma'' (Katha Distribution, New Delhi) ''Karmathinu Mele Oru Palam'' (Translation, Malayalam, Moosakutty).
* ''Presumed Guilty''
* ''Hill House (A View From West Hill)''

Plays
* ''The Nectar of Gods'' – King Marthanda Varma and Devasahayam
* ''Fire in the Soul – The Life And Times of Subramania Bharati''
* ''The Mask of Death – The Final Days of John Keats''
* ''A Women in Flames''

Transcreations
* ''Jnanappana (Poonthanam) as Fountain of God''
* ''Rati Rahasya (Kukoka) as Love's Ecstasies''

Philosophy
* ''The Twelve Petals of Enlightenment (Param Hans)''

Children's
* ''Wander From The Great Wide Wander Galaxy (Fantasy)''

Editor
* ''Poetry Anthology (Editor) "A New Book of Indian Poems in English"''(Poetry Chain and Writers Workshop Calcutta)
* ''Poetry Chain – A Poetry Quarterly since 1997''

Kottoor's reviews on Indian English Poetry
* ''A Rebel and an Observer '':Review
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* ''Signature of Sensuality '':Review
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* ''On A Poetic Cruise '':Review
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* ''Bhakti Blazes The Vernacular '':Review
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* ''For verse or for worse '':Review
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* ''Goodness of Nature And God ''
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* ''Magic And Mystery of Love '':Review
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* ''Idioms And Images '':Review
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* ''Not Much Happening '':Review
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* ''Dear Dad '':Review
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* ''Solitary romantic '':Review
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* ''A ThanksGiving For Life '':Review
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* ''Representative Voices ''
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* ''Tales of Change '':Review
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* ''A Fine Flow of Emotion '':Review
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* ''Self-Indulgent Words '':Review
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* ''Rewarding Read '':Review
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* ''Transience of Human Love '':Review
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* ''Frank Images ''
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Appearances in the following poetry Anthologies
* '' Verse, Seattle(USA) : Special edition on Contemporary Indian Poetry in English ''
* ''The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets'' (2008) ed. by Jeet Thayil and published by Bloodaxe Books Ltd., United Kingdom
* ''Give the Sea Change USA (Fulcrum, Ed. Jeet Thayil ) ''
* ''The Golden Jubilee Anthology of Indian Poets in English NBT, India (Ed. Eunice de Souza ) ''
* ''99 Poets (Ed. Manu Dash) ''
* ''The Dance of the Peacock: An Anthology of English Poetry from India'' (2013) ed. by Vivekanand Jha and published by Hidden Brook Press, Canada
* ''Travelogue : The Grand Indian Express'' (2018) ed. by Dr. Ananad Kumar and published by Authorspress, New Delhi

Literature Arts and Culture
*''Tribute From France'':Review
/small>
*''Keats Home Hampstead England'':Review
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References

Sources

* ''Father, Wake us in Passing: A Book of poems'' (A Poetry Chain Imprint)

* ''Father Wake Us in Passing: ''
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* ''Father Wake Us in Passing(Guest Poet Readings at University of Augsburg Germany): ''
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* ''The Coloured Yolk of Love: ''Poetry Online
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* ''Varnamala – A Web Anthology of Indian English Poetry ''

* ''Bluefifth Review Winter 2003 ''

* ''NthPosition Online Magazine ''PoetryOnline

* ''The Poetry of Emotion, Colour and Passion ''

* ''Transcreating Poonthanam ''
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* ''Meditations on Life ''Review
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* ''E-books India ''
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* ''The Enchanting Verses ''
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* ''Bigbridge Anthology PartII ''
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* ''Life and Legends ''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kottoor, Gopi
1956 births
Living people
Indian male poets
Writers from Thiruvananthapuram
English-language poets from India
Indian male novelists
Indian children's writers